LONDON (Dispatches) -- The death toll from a terror attack at the heart of London rose to seven Sunday as Prime Minister Theresa May convened an emergency security cabinet session to deal with the crisis.
The assault began Saturday night when a van veered off the road and barreled into pedestrians on busy London Bridge. Three men fled the van with large knives and attacked people at bars and restaurants in nearby Borough Market, police and witnesses said. The attack unfolded quickly, and police said officers had shot and killed the three attackers within eight minutes.
The violence turned a summery night in an area packed with revelers into a scene of panic and chaos, with officers running through crowded streets screaming for people to flee. Lifeboats on the River Thames helped evacuate the area, which is popular with tourists. It remained closed off Sunday and police urged residents and tourists to stay away.
Emergency officials said 48 people were treated at London hospitals and a number of others suffered less serious injuries.
The Metropolitan Police force declared the attacks "terrorist incidents,” but there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Britain was already on edge after a bombing two weeks ago at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, in northwest England, that killed 22 people and injured dozens of others. Grande and other stars are scheduled to perform a benefit concert for victims Sunday night.
The latest attacks came just days before Thursday’s general election. May’s Conservative Party had been expected to win by a wide margin but recent polls have showed the race tightening. Major parties temporarily suspended national campaigning Sunday.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the attackers hoped to disrupt democracy and hamper plans for voting, but that would not happen. He said Londoners should remain vigilant.
Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said that while police believe all the attackers were killed, the investigation continued.
"We believe three people were involved, but we still have got some more inquiries to do to be 100 percent confident in that,” he said.
Khan said some of the injured were in critical condition. French President Emmanuel Macron said French citizens were among the wounded.
It was the third attack to hit Britain in as many months.